This weekend, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to put new restrictions on the Gulf of Alaska trawl fleet in an effort to curb chinook salmon bycatch. APRN's Alexandra Gutierrez reports.

There was almost certainly going to be a cap. All the other trawl fisheries had one, and concern over the health of Alaska's chinook runs has only increased in recent years. The question was just how much chinook salmon could the Gulf's trawl fleet take unintentionally before they would have to pull up their nets and stop fishing, period.

In the end, the number was 7,500 salmon. Here's council member Bill Tweit, who represents the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"Certainly, the extent and depth of the chinook conservation crisis right now gives us no choice as a council but to respond with a conservation measure."

The move wasn't without some disagreement. Bycatch in the fishery has fluctuated between 3,000 and 10,000 fish over the years. Conservation groups wanted a cap near the low end, while fleet representatives pushed for a limit closer to historical highs.

Inside the Industry

SeaShare, a non-profit organization that facilitates donations of seafood to feed the hungry, announced on Wednesday, July 29 that it had partnered up with Alaska seafood companies, freight companies and the Coast Guard, to coordinate the donation and delivery of 21,000 pounds of halibut to remote villages in western Alaska.

On Wednesday, the Coast Guard loaded 21,000 pounds of donated halibut on its C130 airplane in Kodiak and made the 634-mile flight to Nome.

NEFMC trawl survey AP deadline approaches

The New England Fishery Management Council is soliciting applications for seats on the Northeast Trawl Survey Advisory Panel and the deadline to apply is July 31 at 5:00 p.m.

The panel will consist of 16 members including members of the councils and the Atlantic States Fishery Commission, industry experts, non-federal scientists and Northeast Fisheries Science Center scientists. Panel members are expected to serve for three years.

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